Ohio Health System Hacked and Patient Information Exposed Online, According to Local Media Reports
The Central Ohio Urology Group, based in Gahanna, Ohio and the second-largest health system in Ohio with 24 offices in the region, is investigating whether its patient data has been compromised and leaked to the public, according to media reports from The Columbus Dispatch.
According to The Columbus Dispatch article posted today, “a group or person identifying with a far-right Ukrainian political party posted links to, and a screen shot of, patient data purported to be from the files of the Central Ohio Urology Group.” And, a Google Drive link to massive file data also was posted.
Several technology-based and cybersecurity-based websites also reported the hack. An article posted on Motherboard reported that a hacker or group of hackers using the name Pravvy Sector posted a link on Twitter to over 150 GB of data from the Central Ohio Urology Group.
On the Twitter page of @pravsector, there is a screen shot of about two dozen patient names, addressed, phone numbers, insurance providers and other information from what appears to be a database file.
The Columbus Dispatch article quoted a representative of the urology group: “I can say nothing on the record at the present time,’ said a man who identified himself as the group's chief information officer but declined to give his name. ‘We’re investigating to the fullest of our abilities.’”
The Motherboard article reported, “The data contains a mountain of apparent financial spreadsheets, human resource documents, and patient records. The files include names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and what looks like treatments patients have received.”
